


xx. butterflies

by icymapletree



Series: febuwhump/febufluff 2020 [20]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Big Brother Peter Parker, Butterflies, Febufluff, Fluff, Gen, Precious Morgan Stark, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22839559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymapletree/pseuds/icymapletree
Summary: Peter and Morgan are usually the ones that make mud pies together, but he deserves a treat today. She knows that he’s hurt - her daddy tries to hide it from her, but she can tell by the way his arms and chest are all sorts of purple.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: febuwhump/febufluff 2020 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618837
Comments: 8
Kudos: 123





	xx. butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> hey hi hello

Morgan sits out in the front yard of the cabin, pouring a water bottle onto the ground. Her dad had said that they’d have to wait until it rained to make mud pies, but Morgan Stark isn’t a quitter.

She hums a little tune, which is something upbeat from Taylor Swift’s new album that Peter is totally obsessed with. Morgan doesn’t care for it much, her concerns lay more with the soundtrack from the latest Disney movie. Her life didn’t even overlap with Taylor Swift’s until five years ago, when everyone was blipped back. 

When she puts aside her personal tastes and disregards her unusually cynical personality, even she can admit that the bubblegum pop tune is pretty good.

Peter teases her for disliking most mainstream songs yet still liking Disney music. Anyone can like Disney music, she says, just like her teacher told them to say in response to someone who unfairly criticizes their interests. She’s literally the target demographic for these movies anyway - a ten year old - but Peter just gives her a hard time.

It’s his job as her brother. 

He’s never actually mean to her, though, and rarely makes her do her chores when he watches her. Morgan appreciates that.

She never understands the kids in her class who don’t like their siblings. It’s usually the _mergers_ \- the ones who were blipped and merged with the current class.

Her brother is a merger, but he loves Morgan very much, so the stereotype is very confusing to her. Peter does stuff that a lot of older siblings do, and a lot of things that they don’t do. For example, he reads her bedtime stories - but he’ll do it from the ceiling if she asks nicely.

They’re usually the ones that make mud pies together, but he deserves a treat today. She knows that he’s hurt - her daddy tries to hide it from her, but she can tell by the way his arms and chest are all sorts of purple. 

This is going to be the perfect mud pie. The right consistency, topped with the perfect blend of gravel from the driveway. Maybe she’ll even get fancy and add a layer of sand from the lake’s bank. 

She pats her pile of mud, and it splashes all over her shirt. Good. She doesn’t like this shirt because it has too many sparkles. Honestly, sometimes it feels like Peter will wear some of her clothes before she will. He says he likes fashion, but Morgan begs to differ.

He’s getting _better,_ but he’s still not what Morgan tells him to wear. She’d give him something rainbow - maybe it would even have a llama on it. 

She’s seen pictures of Peter from parties at ESU - and it’s safe to say that what he wears doesn’t quite fit the fashion standards of a fifth grader. Morgan doesn’t even know why he does the things he does, sometimes.

It had been a field day when the ‘Stark Heir’ was seen at a party with high rise cutoff shorts and a cropped hoodie. Her father made a ton of phone calls with the PR department in Manhattan. He was also absolutely pissed because Peter had done nothing wrong - yet he was still under fire.

During the debacle, Pepper had politely told Morgan that although Peter is an adult and can do what he wants, she did not want her looking up the photos. Morgan did anyway - because _of course_ she did - and she regretted it. Her brother was wearing… not much. 

All Morgan had done afterward was offer up a conservative magenta shirt with a heart on it. Peter had turned bright red and politely declined.

Morgan runs down to the creek to get some of the sand to make a second layer before she will add the same dirt that she’s been using to the top. The sand will be like a filling, she decides.

She pats the sand down, then some mud. Gravel goes on top - she has to walk all the way over to the driveway to fetch some.

Right where she’s about to scoop up some rocks, there’s a gorgeous monarch butterfly. It flutters its wings and flies towards the house, Morgan skipping after it. 

The light hits its orange wings just right, and Morgan really wants to catch it and show it to Peter. She’d release it afterward, of course, but it would be a nice surprise for him.

Her bug net is in the garage - she used to use it a lot when she was younger, but she’s glad she has it now because it will come in handy.

When the monarch butterfly lands on the milkweed plant, Morgan runs to the garage, her feet sinking into the soft grass. It’s probably in a bin on one of the shelves in the garage.

She takes one of the plastic bins down and opens it. There’s a few spider suits and what looks like a prototype for a Captain America shield. Morgan files that information for later and pulls the next bin down.

When she opens it, she finds what she’s been looking for. She whips the net out and goes running toward where the butterfly landed.

At first, her heart stops - it appears that the butterfly has flown away - but then she looks on the other side of the bush. She sees it sitting there, and it flutters its wings a little bit. The small movement enough to make Morgan strike. 

She ends up missing and runs after it as and it flies toward the lake. She swings at it when it lands on a tree and misses yet again. This little bug is persistent, but Morgan is _more_ persistent.

She follows it all the way to the boardwalk in the lake, tip-toeing toward the butterfly who has stopped on one of the supports.

Morgan swings-- and misses. _Again._ This time the butterfly flies all the way to the end of the boardwalk and perches itself there.

It’s two soft footsteps forward as she stalks the little thing-- before she ends up tripping over her own feet. The net goes flying, sinking to the bottom of the lake, sticking to the mud. As for Morgan, she follows after the net into the water.

She isn’t prepared for going under, water shoots up her nose and comes choking out of her mouth. Morgan tries to breathe in-- but there’s no air there to inhale. She’s thrashing and she didn’t even realize it, her clothes weighing her down.

She did a summer league swim team two years ago, so she _can_ swim - but she isn’t used to the weight of her clothes that are tugging her down like an anchor.

But then she’s pulled out of the water, the air piercing her skin like tiny needles. She coughs up water, hacking it onto the wooden boardwalk. 

“Morgan?” Peter asks. He’s soaked too, and his hair is shaggy, draped over his eyes like a curtain.

She hacks a bit more liquid up, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. “Yeah?” she rasps.

“Oh, thank god.” Peter wraps her up in a hug, shivers wracking her body. “What were you thinking?”

“You were hurt and I wanted to cheer you up.”

“You didn’t have to scare me to do that, bug.”

“I was trying to catch a butterfly for you,” she wipes her eyes, “I didn’t want to scare you.”

“You scared me only for a little bit, Mo. But you’re okay now, right?”

She sniffs. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t do this on purpose.” Peter sighs in relief. “That’s all that matters. I’m glad you’re okay, and I really appreciate what you wanted to do for me. Just be careful next time, okay?”

“Okay,” she says, cuddling in closer to Peter. 

Peter squeezes her shoulder, and Morgan lays her head on his side. The shivers continue, and Peter suggests that they go inside to get a towel and warm up. Morgan nods eagerly, her teeth chattering.

It’s a slow walk to the house, adrenaline still coursing through Morgan’s - and Peter’s - veins. They walk in, the two of them leaving wet footprints on the tile. 

“Go change into some dry stuff, yeah?” Peter suggests, to which Morgan nods.

When she comes back downstairs, Peter is nursing two cups of warm tea. He passes her one and directs them to the couch. 

“You didn’t have to do this,” Morgan says, curling her legs up and taking a sip of her drink.

“Morgan Stark, you are ten years old - and I know you’re very smart - but you’ve gotta let me spoil you like you’re a little kid.”

“So I’m an older kid?”

“No, no. That is not what I said.”

“I think it is,” she smiles. 

“I take all of that back. You’ll always be a five year old in my head.”

She rolls her eyes.

“What movie do you want to watch?”

“The Princess and the Frog,” she says quickly.

“ _See?_ ” Peter teases.

Morgan throws a pillow at him.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Besides, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here watching Disney movies with my little sister.” He considers what he just said, and resolves, “Maybe minus the lake incident.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed! come talk to me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/icymapletree)


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